Journal of the Music &
Entertainment Industry Educators Association

Volume 10, Number 1 (2010)

Alan WilliamsUniversity of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract

Popular
music supports a celebrity system centered on highly visible and easily
identifiable individuals. Yet much popular music is in fact made by unknown,
unidentified musicians, hired collaborators who work out of the public eye in
the recording studio or in the shadows of the concert stage. These musicians
are prized for their unique musical and social personalities, not merely for
their instrumental skill; their individual, even idiosyncratic contributions
are highly valued by their employers. Though they may not be commonly
identified with the work, these musicians view their contributions as forms of
creative expression and have a considerable emotional investment in the
projects in which they participate.

This article is derived in part from an ongoing
ethnographic study of musicians working in studio environments. Interviewee
responses indicate a significant degree of investment in the projects they
participate in, beyond considerations of their monetary compensation or career
profile. Author examines the economic structures within which these musicians
operate, but always maintain a focus on creative identity rather than workplace
conditions, access to employment opportunities, or other aspects of professional
musicians working ‘for hire.’